Broadcasting signal receiving apparatus, remote controller and pairing method thereof

ABSTRACT

Disclosed are a broadcasting signal receiving apparatus, a remote controller and a pairing method thereof, the pairing method of the remote controller performing bidirectional communication with the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus and including: sensing a key input for a control instruction for controlling the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus, wherein the key input is selected from among a plurality of keys on the remote controller; transmitting a broadcasting signal to the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus, wherein the broadcasting signal corresponds to the key input and includes first identification information of the remote controller; and storing second identification information of the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus received from the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus. Thus, the identification information for performing the RF communication may be transmitted in response to a voluntary selection on the RF remote controller.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a Continuation Application of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/646,713, filed Dec. 23, 2009, which claims priority from KoreanPatent Application No. 10-2009-0034241, filed on Apr. 20, 2009 in theKorean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which areincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present invention relate toa broadcasting signal receiving apparatus, a remote controller and apairing method thereof, and more particularly, to a broadcasting signalreceiving apparatus, a remote controller and a pairing method thereof,in which bidirectional communication is performed on the basis ofidentification information.

2. Description of the Related Art

A broadcasting signal receiving apparatus receives a broadcasting signalfrom a broadcasting station, or receives an image signal from anexternal device such as a digital versatile disc (DVD) player or thelike, and processes the received signal to be displayed as an image.

Such a broadcasting signal receiving apparatus is provided with a remotecontroller as an interface to receive user's instructions such as poweron/off, channel selection, screen adjustment, volume control, reservedrecording, etc.

In general, the remote controller includes a unidirectionalcommunication unit such as an infrared communication module. Thedirectional communication unit involves restrictions of a communicatingdirection, a communicating range, etc.

Accordingly, there has recently been an increased demand for a remotecontroller using a radio frequency (RF) signal supporting bidirectional(non-directional or Omni-directional) communication.

The remote controller using the RF signal requires pairing as aconnection setup process for communication. The pairing is a process ofstoring a medial access control (MAC) address for RF communicationbetween the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus and the RF remotecontroller.

For the pairing of the RF remote controller, a manual is usuallyprovided to a user, and thus a user operates the RF remote controller onthe basis of the provided manual to select a menu corresponding to apairing mode and enter the pairing mode.

However, a user who has no background of the pairing for the RF remotecontroller may recognize that the foregoing paring process iscomplicated. Occasionally, it may be inconvenient for a user since theRF remote controller is not available when he/she cannot normallyperform the paring.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention address at least theabove problems and/or disadvantages and other disadvantages notdescribed above. Also, the present invention is not required to overcomethe disadvantages described above, and an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention may not overcome any of the problems described above.

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a pairingmethod of a remote controller performing bidirectional communicationwith a broadcasting signal receiving apparatus, the pairing method mayinclude: sensing a key input for a control instruction for controllingthe broadcasting signal receiving apparatus, wherein the key input isselected from among a plurality of keys on the remote controller;transmitting a broadcasting signal to the broadcasting signal receivingapparatus, wherein the broadcasting signal corresponds to the key inputand includes first identification information of the remote controller;and storing second identification information of the broadcasting signalreceiving apparatus received from the broadcasting signal receivingapparatus.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, if thekey input corresponds to a power-on/off key for the broadcasting signalreceiving apparatus, the transmitting of the broadcast signal to thebroadcasting signal receiving apparatus may include: transmitting afirst broadcasting signal including the control instruction to thebroadcasting signal receiving apparatus; and transmitting a secondbroadcasting signal including the first identification information tothe broadcasting signal receiving apparatus.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, if thekey input corresponds to a pairing key, the transmitting of thebroadcast signal to the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus mayinclude: transmitting a fourth broadcasting signal including the controlinstruction and the first identification information to the broadcastingsignal receiving apparatus.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, if thekey input corresponds to a key other than a power-on/off key for thebroadcasting signal receiving apparatus and a pairing key, thetransmitting of the broadcast signal to the broadcasting signalreceiving apparatus may include: transmitting a third broadcastingsignal including the first identification information to thebroadcasting signal receiving apparatus; and transmitting a firstunicast signal including the control instruction to the broadcastingsignal receiving apparatus.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, thebroadcasting signal may be transmitted to a plurality of transmissionchannels being monitored by the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, theplurality of transmission channels may be in a band for wireless localarea network (WLAN) channels.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, thebroadcasting signal receiving apparatus may have a personal area networkidentifier (PAN ID) and the broadcasting signal may include the PAN IDof the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, theplurality of keys includes at least one of a power-on/off key, a numeralkey, a channel key, a menu key and a pairing key.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, thepairing method of the remote controller may further include notifyingwhether pairing is successful by outputting at least one of a soundthrough a speaker and a display on a display window.

Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a pairingmethod of a broadcasting signal receiving apparatus performingbidirectional communication with a remote controller, and the pairingmethod may include: monitoring a plurality of transmission channels todetermine whether a first broadcasting signal is received from theremote controller; performing a first function based on a controlinstruction included in the first broadcasting signal if the firstbroadcasting signal is received; storing first identificationinformation if receiving from the remote controller a secondbroadcasting signal including the first identification information ofthe remote controller; and transmitting second identificationinformation of the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus to the remotecontroller.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, theplurality of transmission channels may be in a band for wireless localarea network (WLAN) channels.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, themonitoring of the plurality of transmission channels may be performed todetermine whether the broadcasting signal is received comprisesperiodically measuring a power of a signal related to the plurality oftransmission channels by standby power if the broadcasting signalreceiving apparatus is in a power-off state.

Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a remotecontroller which may include: a communication unit which bidirectionallycommunicates with a broadcasting signal receiving apparatus; a userinput unit which includes a plurality of function keys; a storage unitwhich stores first identification information of the remote controller;and a controller which transmits to the broadcasting signal receivingapparatus a broadcasting signal including a control instructioncorresponding to a key input and the first identification information,controls the communication unit to receive second identificationinformation from the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus, and storesthe received second identification information in the storage unit.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, if thekey input corresponds to a power-on/off key for the broadcasting signalreceiving apparatus, the transmitting of the broadcasting signal by thecontroller may include transmitting a first broadcasting signalincluding the control instruction to the broadcasting signal receivingapparatus and transmitting a second broadcasting signal including thefirst identification information to the broadcasting signal receivingapparatus.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, if thekey input corresponds to a pairing key, the transmitting of thebroadcasting signal by the controller may include transmitting a fourthbroadcasting signal including the control instruction and the firstidentification information to the broadcasting signal receivingapparatus.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, if thekey input corresponds to a key other than a power-on/off key for thebroadcasting signal receiving apparatus and a pairing key, thetransmitting of the broadcasting signal by the controller may includetransmitting a third broadcasting signal including the firstidentification information to the broadcasting signal receivingapparatus and transmitting a first unicast signal including the controlinstruction to the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, thetransmitting of the broadcasting signal by the controller may includetransmitting the broadcasting signal to a plurality of transmissionchannels being monitored by the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, theplurality of transmission channels may be in a band for wireless localarea network (WLAN) channels.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, thebroadcasting signal receiving apparatus may have a personal area networkidentifier (PAN ID), and the transmitting of the broadcasting signal mayinclude transmitting the PAN ID of the broadcasting signal receivingapparatus.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, theplurality of keys may include at least one of a power-on/off key, anumeral key, a channel key, a menu key and a pairing key.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, theremote controller may further include: a sound output unit; and adisplay unit having a display window, wherein the controller notifieswhether pairing is successful by outputting at least one of a soundsthrough the sound output unit and a display on the display unit.

Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides abroadcasting signal receiving apparatus which may include: acommunication unit which bidirectionally communicates with a remotecontroller; a storage unit which stores second identificationinformation of the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus; and acontroller which monitors whether a first broadcasting signal isreceived over any of a plurality of transmission channels, performs afirst function based on a control instruction included in the firstbroadcasting signal if the first broadcasting signal is received, storesfirst identification information in the storage unit if receiving asecond broadcasting signal including the first identificationinformation of the remote controller from the remote controller, andcontrols the communication unit to transmit the second identificationinformation of the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus to the remotecontroller.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, theplurality of transmission channels may be in a band for wireless localarea network (WLAN) channels.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, themonitoring of whether the broadcasting signal is received may includeperiodically measuring a power of a signal related to the plurality oftransmission channels by standby power if the broadcasting signalreceiving apparatus is in a power-off state.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and/or other aspects of the present invention will becomeapparent and more readily appreciated from the following description ofthe exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a broadcasting signal receiving apparatusand a remote controller according to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are views for explaining a pairing process using apower-on signal according to a first exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are views showing messages displayed as the pairingprocess is performed according to a second exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a pairing method for the remote controlleraccording to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a pairing method for the broadcasting signalreceiving apparatus according to the first exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a pairing method for the broadcasting signalreceiving apparatus and the remote controller according to the secondexemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a pairing method for the broadcasting signalreceiving apparatus and the remote controller according to a thirdexemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Below, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be describedin more detail with reference to accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a broadcasting signal receiving apparatus100 and a remote controller 200 according to an exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention.

The broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 in this embodiment maybe achieved by a digital television (TV), a set-top box, etc. The remotecontroller 200 bidirectionally communicates with the broadcasting signalreceiving apparatus 100 and outputs a control signal for controlling anoperation of the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100.

The broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 receives a controlinstruction corresponding to a predetermined function from the remotecontroller 200 through bidirectional (non-directional orOmni-directional) radio frequency (RF) communication. Here, thebroadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 and the remote controller200 may operate as within a relationship between a master and a slave.

As shown in FIG. 1, the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100includes a first communication unit 110, a first storage unit 120, afirst user input unit 130, a first display unit 140, a first soundoutput unit 150, and a first controller 160.

According to the present exemplary embodiment, the broadcasting signalreceiving apparatus 100 may include a signal receiver 170 to receive abroadcasting signal from a broadcasting station or an image signal froman external device such as a DVD player or the like, and a signalprocessor 180 to process the received image signal into a signal havinga format displayable in the first display unit 140. The signal processor180 divides the received broadcasting signal into a video signal, anaudio signal, various additional signals, etc., and decodes the dividedaudio signal into a signal to be output in the first sound output unit150.

The first communication unit 110 is a communication module providing abidirectional (non-directional or Omni-directional) communication means,which communicates with the remote controller 200 through acommunication system based on a predetermined communication standard.

The first communication unit 110 communicates with the correspondingremote controller 200 under control of the first controller 160 on thebasis of predetermined identification information. The firstcommunication unit 110 of the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus100 may be achieved by an RF communication module, e.g., a ZigBeecommunication module using a band of 2.4 GHz, which receives a mediaaccess control (MAC) address as the identification information(hereinafter referred to as “first identification information”) of theremote controller 200, and performs RF communication with the remotecontroller 200 on the basis of the received MAC address.

Meanwhile, the first communication unit 110 is capable of communicatingwith the remote controller 200 through a broadcasting signalcorresponding to at least one preset channel in the state that the firstidentification information of the remote controller 200 is not received.

Here, the broadcasting signal is defined by 802.15.4 standard. Usingthis broadcasting signal, it is possible to send a control signal from atransmitter to a receiver if personal area network identifiers (PAN ID)thereof are matched with each other even though the transmitter and areceiver do not receive any MAC address from each other.

Specifically, the broadcasting signal transmitted from the remotecontroller 200 to the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100includes a frame of a predetermined format, in which the frame has a PANID field expressing the PAN ID of the remote controller 200.

For example, if the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 in thisembodiment receives the broadcasting signal having “0xffff” as a fieldvalue of the PAN ID, it may be determined whether the received fieldvalue is matched with the PAN ID of the broadcasting signal receivingapparatus 100. If the field value of the PAN ID of the receivedbroadcasting signal is matched with the PAN ID of the broadcastingsignal receiving apparatus 100, the broadcasting signal receivingapparatus 100 normally receives the corresponding broadcasting signal.

The remote controller 200 in this embodiment may use broadcastingsignals corresponding to three channels of No. (2425 MHz), No. 20 (2450MHz) and No. 25 (2475 MHz) to transmit the first identificationinformation, i.e., the MAC address thereof to the broadcasting signalreceiving apparatus 100.

The broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 monitors a plurality oftransmission channels formed in a band for wireless local area network(WLAN) channels, receives at least one of the broadcasting signals fromthe remote controller 200, and identifies the MAC address included inthe received broadcasting signal. Here, the plurality of transmissionchannels may correspond to the channel Nos. 15, 20 and 25.

Here, the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 measures power ofthe transmission channels being monitored regardless of whether it ispowered on/off, and senses the broadcasting signal. In the case that thebroadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 is powered off, standbypower is used for periodically measuring power of signals related to theplurality of transmission channels.

According to the first exemplary embodiment, the broadcasting signalincludes a first broadcasting signal including a control instruction forone of the functions of the broadcasting receiving apparatus 100, and asecond broadcasting signal including the first identificationinformation of the remote controller 200. The first broadcasting signalmay include a control instruction corresponding to a power-on of thebroadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are views for explaining a pairing process using apower-on signal according to a first exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the remote controller 200 may include a power-on/offkey 21, numeral keys 23, a channel key 22, a menu key 24 and a pairingkey 25. A user may manipulate the power-on/off key 21, with the remotecontroller 200 to watch a TV while the broadcasting signal receivingapparatus 100 is powered off, thereby inputting an instruction to turnon the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100.

Thus, the remote controller 200 transmits the first broadcasting signalincluding a power-on instruction and the second broadcasting signalincluding the first identification information of the remote controller200 to the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 in sequence.

At this time, the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 being inthe power-off state performs monitoring, i.e., periodically measures thepower of the signal related to the plurality of transmission channels bythe standby power, and senses the first and second broadcasting signalsfrom the remote controller 200.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first controller 160 turns on the broadcastingsignal receiving apparatus 100 on the basis of the power-on instructionincluded in the received first broadcasting signal, and controls thefirst storage unit 120 to store the first identification information ofthe remote controller 200, included in the received second broadcastingsignal. Further, the first controller 160 transmits secondidentification information of the broadcasting signal receivingapparatus 100 to the remote controller 200, thereby performing pairingfor the RF communication.

Correspondingly, the remote controller 200 receives and stores thesecond identification information of the broadcasting signal receivingapparatus 100, thereby performing the paring with the broadcastingsignal receiving apparatus 100. The remote controller 200 may notify auser of pairing success through at least one of a second display unit240 and a second sound output unit 250 (to be described later withreference to FIG. 3) when storing the second identification informationand thus completing the paring.

Also, the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 may notify a userof the pairing success through at least one of the first display unit140 and the first sound output unit 150 (to be described later withreference to FIG. 4) when storing the first identification informationand thus completing the pairing.

The first storage unit 120 stores the first identification informationof the remote controller 200, received through the first communicationunit 110 under control of the first controller 160. The first storageunit 120 may be achieved by a non-volatile memory such as an erasableprogrammable read-only memory (EPROM), a flash memory, a hard disk drive(HDD), etc.

Meanwhile, the first storage unit 120 may store the PAN ID of thebroadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100.

Thus, the first controller 160 can normally receive the broadcastingsignal with the first identification information of the remotecontroller 200 through the first communication unit 110 if the PAN ID ofthe corresponding remote controller 200 is matched with the PAN ID ofthe broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100, stored in the firststorage unit 120.

As a user interface receives instructions from a user, the first userinput unit 130 receives a user's selection about the function or theoperation of the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100.

The first user input unit 130 may have at least one key button as a hotkey, and achieved by a control panel provided in the broadcasting signalreceiving apparatus 100. The first user input unit 130 may include theminimum buttons such as the power-on/off key, a menu key, directionalkeys, etc. The first controller 160 determines that a user's instructionis input, when sensing a key input of the control panel.

The first display unit 140 includes a display window to display animage, and displays an image processed by the signal processor 180. Whenthe pairing for the RF communication with the remote controller 200 isnormally completed under the control of the first controller 160, thefirst display unit 140 may display a message for notifying a user of theparing completion as shown in FIG. 4.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are views showing messages displayed as the pairingprocess is performed according to a second exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention. The message shown in FIG. 5 will be described in moredetail with regard to a pairing operation between the remote controller200 and the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 according to asecond exemplary embodiment to be described later.

Meanwhile, the first display unit 140 may display a message or the liketo a user when the pairing with the remote controller 200 is failed,communication is disconnected, connection is retried, or etc.

The first display unit 140 may be achieved by various display modulessuch as a digital light processing (DLP), a liquid crystal display(LCD), a plasma display panel (PDP), etc. Further, the video signal isprocessed by the signal processor 180 to be adapted to an outputstandard such as a vertical frequency, a resolution, an aspect ratio,etc. of the first display unit 140.

The first sound output unit 150 may be achieved by a speaker or thelike, and outputs an audio signal decoded by the signal processor 180.

The first sound output unit 150 of the broadcasting signal receivingapparatus 100 may output a sound (e.g., a buzz) about that the pairingwith the remote controller 200 is completed, failed, retried, etc. to auser.

The first controller 160 performs general control of the broadcastingsignal receiving apparatus 100. Specifically, the first controller 160receives the broadcasting signal including the identificationinformation of the remote controller 200 through the first communicationunit 110, and performs the paring by storing the received theidentification information in the first storage unit 120. Also, thefirst controller 160 controls the first communication unit 110 totransmit the identification information of the broadcasting signalreceiving apparatus 100 to the remote controller 200.

In more detail, the first controller 160 receives the broadcastingsignal from the remote controller 200 of which the PAN ID is matched,thereby entering a pairing mode. The first controller 160 stores theidentification information of the remote controller 200, included in thereceived broadcasting signal, in the first storage unit 120, andtransmits the identification information of the broadcasting signalreceiving apparatus 100 to the remote controller 200 through the firstcommunication unit 110. If the remote controller 200 stores the receivedidentification information of the broadcasting signal receivingapparatus 100, the paring between the broadcasting signal receivingapparatus 100 and the remote controller 200 is completed.

When the pairing is completed, the first controller 160 may output themessage about the paring completion through at least one of the firstdisplay unit 140 and the first sound output unit 150.

According to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention,the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 may receive thebroadcasting signal including the first identification information fromthe remote controller 200 during the power-on state.

Specifically, a user may input an instruction by manipulating not thepower-on/off key but another function key (e.g., one of a numeral key, achannel key and a menu key) of the remote controller 200, thereby makingthe broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 perform a predeterminedfunction.

Thus, the remote controller 200 transmits a third broadcasting signalincluding the first identification information of the remote controller200 to the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100. The firstcontroller 160 receives the third broadcasting signal through the firstcommunication unit 110, and stores the first identification informationin the first storage unit 120. Further, the first controller 160transmits the second identification information of the broadcastingsignal receiving apparatus 100 to the remote controller 200.

The remote controller 200 receives and stores the second identificationinformation from the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 tothereby perform the pairing, and transmits a first unicast signalincluding a control instruction corresponding to the function key inputby a user to the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100. Then, thebroadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 performs a functioncorresponding to the control instruction included in the received firstunicast signal.

If the pairing according to the second exemplary embodiment iscompleted, the remote controller 200 or the broadcasting signalreceiving apparatus 100 may notify a user of whether the pairing issuccessful, through at least one of the display unit 140, 240 and thesound output unit 150, 250.

Here, the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 in the secondexemplary embodiment may receive an power-on instruction from a userthrough the first user input unit 130.

The first controller 160 turns on the broadcasting signal receivingapparatus 100 if the power-on instruction is input through the firstuser input unit 130, and controls the first display unit 140 to displaya message of requesting a user to input an instruction through theremote controller 200 (refer to FIG. 5) for the purpose of the pairingfor the RF communication with the remote controller 200.

Then, a user manipulates the function key of the remote controller 200in response to the message on the first display unit 140, so that theremote controller 200 transmits the third broadcasting signal includingthe identification information and the unicast signal corresponding tothe manipulated function key to the broadcasting signal receivingapparatus 100.

Here, the unicast signal transmitted to the broadcasting signalreceiving apparatus 100 may contain a user's various controlinstructions such as channel selection, screen adjustment, volumecontrol, reserved recording, etc.

The first controller 160 may control the first sound output unit 150 tooutput a sound of requesting a user to input an instruction through theremote controller 200.

The first controller 160 may be achieved by a corresponding softwareprogram, and a processor such as a microcomputer, a central processingunit (CPU), etc. for loading and executing the program.

According to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention, thebroadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 may receive a fourthbroadcasting signal including a control instruction for performing thepairing and the first identification information during the power-on or-off state if a user manipulates a pairing key of the remote controller200. The first controller 160 receives the fourth broadcasting signaland stores the first identification information in the first storageunit 120 to thereby perform the pairing, and controls the firstcommunication unit 110 to transmit the second identification informationof the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 to the remotecontroller 200.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 1, the remote controller 200 includes asecond communication unit 210, a second storage unit 220, a second userinput unit 230, the second display unit 240, the second sound outputunit 250 and a second controller 260.

The remote controller 200 may transmit the broadcasting signal for theparing with the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 regardlessof whether the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 is powered onor off.

The second communication unit 210 is a communication module providing abidirectional (non-directional or Omni-directional) communication means,which communicates with the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100through a communication system based on a predetermined communicationstandard.

The second communication unit 210 communicates with the correspondingbroadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 under control of the secondcontroller 260 on the basis of predetermined identification information.The second communication unit 210 of the remote controller 200 may beachieved by an RF communication module, e.g., a ZigBee communicationmodule using a band of 2.4 GHz, which receives a media access control(MAC) address as the identification information (hereinafter, referredto as “second identification information”) of the broadcasting signalreceiving apparatus 100, and performs RF communication with thebroadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 on the basis of the receivedMAC address.

Meanwhile, the second communication unit 210 is capable of communicatingwith the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 through abroadcasting signal corresponding to at least one preset channel in thestate that the second identification information of the broadcastingsignal receiving apparatus 100 is not received.

Here, the broadcasting signal is defined by 802.15.4 standard. Usingthis broadcasting signal, it is possible to transmit a signal between atransmitter and a receiver through the same preset channel if personalareal network identifiers (PAN ID) thereof are matched with each othereven though the transmitter and a receiver do not receive any MACaddress from each other.

The second communication unit 210 in this embodiment may usebroadcasting signals corresponding to three channels of No. 15 (2425MHz), No. 20 (2450 MHz) and No. 25 (2475 MHz) to transmit the firstidentification information, i.e., the MAC address of the remotecontroller 200 to the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100.

Here, the second controller 260 of the remote controller 200 senses akey input from the second user input unit 230 (to be described later),selectively uses the broadcasting signal for a control instruction of afunction corresponding to the sensed key input to thereby transmit thecontrol instruction to the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100,and uses the broadcasting signal to transmit the first identificationinformation of the remote controller 200 to the broadcasting signalreceiving apparatus 100.

Specifically, according to the first exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention, if the key input sensed by the remote controller 200 isrelated to the power-on/off of the broadcasting signal receivingapparatus 100, the second controller 260 may control the secondcommunication unit 210 to transmit the first broadcasting signalincluding the power-on instruction and the second broadcasting signalincluding the first identification information to the broadcastingsignal receiving apparatus 100 in sequence.

Further, the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 may receive apredetermined control instruction from the remote controller 200 duringthe power-on state. That is, according to the second exemplaryembodiment, if the key input sensed by the remote controller 200 isrelated to a menu key for general controls except the power-on/off keyfor the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100, the secondcontroller 260 may control the second communication unit 210 to transmitthe third broadcasting signal including the first identificationinformation and the first unicast signal including the controlinstruction corresponding to the sensed key input to the broadcastingsignal receiving apparatus 100 in sequence. Here, the first unicastsignal may include various control instructions such as the channelselection, volume control, etc. through the remote controller 200.

According to the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention,the key input sensed by the remote controller 200 may be related to apairing key corresponding to an instruction for pairing with thebroadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100. Thus, if the key inputsensed by the remote controller 200 is related to the pairing key, thesecond controller 260 controls the second communication unit 210 totransmit the fourth broadcasting signal including the firstidentification information and the control instruction for the pairingto the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100.

In this embodiment, the foregoing broadcasting signals (including thefirst broadcasting signal, the second broadcasting signal, the thirdbroadcasting signal and the fourth broadcasting signal) are transmittedto the plurality of transmission channels (e.g., channels No. 15 (2425MHz), No. 20 (2450 MHz) and No. 25 (2475 MHz)) to be monitored by thebroadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100, and the plurality oftransmission channels are formed in a band (e.g., 2.4 GHz) for wirelesslocal area network (WLAN) channels.

Further, the broadcasting signal transmitted from the remote controller200 to the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 includes a frameof a predetermined format, which includes a PAN ID field (e.g.,“0xffff”) as the PAN ID of the remote controller 200. The PAN IDincluded in the broadcasting signal is equal to the PAN ID of thecorresponding broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100.

The second controller 260 enters a pairing mode with the correspondingbroadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 while transmitting thebroadcasting signal including the first identification informationthrough the second communication unit 210.

Further, the second controller 260 receives the second identificationinformation from the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 throughthe second communication unit 210, and stores the received secondidentification information of the broadcasting signal receivingapparatus 100 in the second storage unit 220, thereby completing thepairing.

The second storage unit 220 may be achieved by a non-volatile memorysuch as an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a flashmemory, a hard disk drive (HDD), etc., which may further store the PANID of the remote controller 200.

As a user interface for receiving instructions of a user, the seconduser input unit 230 receives a user's selection about the operation ofthe broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100.

The second user input unit 230 may be achieved by a control panel havingat least one button as a hot key. The second user input unit 230 mayinclude key buttons such as a power-on/off key, a numeral key, a channelkey, a menu key, a reserved recording key, a paring key, etc. The secondcontroller 260 determines that a user's instruction is input, when thebutton of the control panel is pressed.

The second user input unit 230 may include a graphic user interface(GUI) generated by executing a predetermined application and displayableon the second display unit 240 to thereby allow a user's input.

The second display unit 240 includes a display window, and displays amessage about the RF communication between the remote controller 200 andthe broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100. When the pairing forthe RF communication with the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus100 is normally completed under the control of the second controller260, the second display unit 240 may display a message for notifying auser of the paring completion.

The second display unit 240 may show a user a message about that thepairing with the remote controller 200 is failed, communication isdisconnected, connection is retried, or etc.

The second display unit 240 may be achieved by a display module such asa liquid crystal display (LCD).

The second sound output unit 250 may be achieved by a loudness speakeror the like, and output a sound (e.g., a buzz) about that the pairingwith the remote controller 200 is completed, failed, retried, or etc. toa user.

The second controller 260 performs general control of the remotecontroller 200. Specifically, the second controller 260 controls thesecond communication unit 210 to transmit the broadcasting signalincluding the first identification information of the remote controller200 to the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 in response to auser's voluntary selection using the second user input unit 230.

The remote controller 200 enters the pairing mode for the RFcommunication with the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 whiletransmitting the first identification information.

In the pairing mode, the second controller 260 receives the secondidentification information of the broadcasting signal receivingapparatus 100 through the second communication unit 210. The secondcontroller 260 stores the received identification information in thesecond storage unit 220, thereby completing the pairing.

When the paring between the remote controller 200 and the broadcastingsignal receiving apparatus 100 is completed, the second controller 260may control at least one of the second display unit 240 and the secondsound output unit 250 to notify a user of the pairing completion.

The second controller 260 may be achieved by a corresponding softwareprogram, and a processor such as a microcomputer, a central processingunit (CPU), etc. for loading and executing the program.

Meanwhile, the foregoing pairing process is performed when thebroadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 and the remote controller200 are first connected to each other. If the identification informationof them has been stored in each other, the communication using the RFsignal may be performed and controlled without a separate paringprocess.

Accordingly, the paring in this embodiment may be applied in the firstoperation after purchasing the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus100 and the remote controller 200, when the remote controller 200 isreplaced, etc.

Also, in this embodiment, the identification information of the remotecontroller 200 is transmitted through the broadcasting signal, but notlimited thereto. Alternatively, the present inventive concept may beapplied to not only the remote controller 200 but also various wirelessinterface devices such as a wireless keyboard, a wireless headphone,etc. which can wirelessly communicate with the broadcasting signalreceiving apparatus 100.

Further, the RF communication in this embodiment may be applied to allcommunication apparatuses which performs wireless communication on thebasis of not only the MAC address but also various identificationinformation.

With this configuration, a pairing method between the broadcastingsignal receiving apparatus 100 and the remote controller 200 will bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a pairing method for the remote controlleraccording to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention,and FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a pairing method for the broadcastingsignal receiving apparatus according to the first exemplary embodimentof the present invention.

First, as shown in FIG. 6, at operation 5110, the remote controller 200senses a key input of a user with regard to a certain key among aplurality of function keys of the second user input unit 230. Here, theremote controller 200 may sense the key input corresponding to theinstruction for turning on the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus100 during the power-off state of the broadcasting signal receivingapparatus 100.

At operation S120, the second controller 260 selectively uses thebroadcasting signal, and transmits the first broadcasting signal,related to the control instruction of the function corresponding to thekey input in the operation S110, to the broadcasting signal receivingapparatus 100. Here, the control instruction included in the firstbroadcasting signal may include the instruction for turning on thebroadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100.

At operation S130, the second controller 260 transmits the secondbroadcasting signal including the first identification information ofthe remote controller 200 to the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus100.

The first and second broadcasting signals transmitted in the operationsS120 and S130 can be transmitted through the plurality of transmissionchannels being monitored by the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus100, and the plurality of transmission channels may be formed in a bandfor the wireless LAN channels.

Further, the first and second broadcasting signals transmitted in theoperations S120 and S130 may have a preset field value as the PAN IDequal to the PAN ID of the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100.

At operation S140, the second controller 260 receives the secondidentification information (MAC address) of the broadcasting signalreceiving apparatus 100 through the second communication unit 210, andstores it in the second storage unit 220. When the storing operation iscompleted in the operation S140, the remote controller 200 successfullyperforms the pairing of setting up connection for the RF communicationwith the corresponding broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100.

If the pairing is completed in the operations 5110 to S140, at operationS150 the second controller 260 may notify a user of whether the pairingis successful or not through at least one of the second display unit 240and the second sound output unit 250.

Referring to FIG. 7, at operation S210 the broadcasting signal receivingapparatus 100 in the first exemplary embodiment monitors whether thebroadcasting signals are received with respect to the plurality oftransmission channels formed in a band for the wireless LAN channels.Here, if the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 is in thepower-off state, the first controller 160 uses the standby power toperiodically measure the power of the signals related to the pluralityof transmission channels, thereby monitoring whether the broadcastingsignals are received.

As results from monitoring in the operation S210, at operation S220 thefirst controller 160 receives the first broadcasting signal includingthe control instruction about a first function of the broadcastingsignal receiving apparatus 100, and performs the first function. Forexample, if the first function is to turn on the broadcasting signalreceiving apparatus 100, the first controller 160 turns on thebroadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 being in the power-offstate.

Further, as results from monitoring in the operation S210, at operationS230 the first controller 160 receives the second broadcasting signalincluding the first identification information of the remote controller200 from the remote controller 200, and stores the first identificationinformation in the first storage unit 120.

The first and second broadcasting signals received in the operationsS220 and S230 may include the same PAN ID as the PAN ID of thebroadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100. That is, the PAN ID ofbroadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 is matched with the PAN IDof the remote controller 200, and thus the broadcasting signal of thesame preset channel makes signal transmission possible between thebroadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 and the remote controller200.

At operation S240, the first controller 160 transmits the secondidentification information of the broadcasting signal receivingapparatus 100 to the remote controller 200 through the firstcommunication unit 110 in response to the first identificationinformation received in the operation S230. Thus, the broadcastingsignal receiving apparatus 100 may successfully perform the pairing ofsetting up the communication connection for the RF communication withthe corresponding remote controller 200.

As results from performing the operations S220 to S240, at operationS250 the first controller 160 may notify a user of whether the pairingis successful or not through at least one of the first display unit 140and the first sound output unit 150.

Accordingly, the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 and theremote controller 200 are paired with each other through the signaltransmission using the broadcasting signal of the same preset channel ifthe PAN IDs thereof are matched with each other.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a pairing method for the broadcasting signalreceiving apparatus 100 and the remote controller 200 according to thesecond exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 8, at operation S310 the remote controller 200 maysense a user's key input corresponding to a certain key among theplurality of keys provided in the second user input unit 230 in thestate that the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 is in thepower-on state. Besides the power-on/off key of the first exemplaryembodiment and the pairing key of the third exemplary embodiment, thekey input of a user may be to give a predetermined control instruction(e.g., a numeral key, a channel key, a menu key, etc.) with respect tothe broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100.

At operation S320, the remote controller 200 transmits the thirdbroadcasting signal including the first identification information ofthe remote controller 200 to the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus100 in response to the key input in the operation S310.

At operation S330, the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100receives the third broadcasting signal transmitted in the operation S320and stores the first identification information in the first storageunit 120 by monitoring whether the broadcasting signals corresponding tothe plurality of transmission channels are received.

At operation S340, the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100transmits the second identification information of the broadcastingsignal receiving apparatus 100 to the remote controller 200 in responseto the first identification information received in the operation S330.

At operation S350, the remote controller 200 receives the secondidentification information transmitted in the operation S340 and storesit in the second storage unit 220.

At operation S360, the remote controller 200 transmits the first unicastsignal including a control instruction corresponding to the key input inthe operation S310 to the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100.

As results from performing the operations S310 to S360, at operationS370 the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 or the remotecontroller 200 may notify a user of whether the pairing is successful ornot through a display window, a sound, etc.

At operation S380 the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100receives the first unicast signal transmitted in the operation S360, andperforms operation (e.g., volume control, channel selection, etc.)corresponding to the control instruction included in the received firstunicast signal.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a pairing method for the broadcasting signalreceiving apparatus 100 and the remote controller 200 according to athird exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 9, at operation 5410 the remote controller 200 maysense a user's key input corresponding to a pairing key provided in thesecond user input unit 230. Here, the remote controller 200 may sense auser's input about the pairing key regardless of the power-on/off stateof the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100.

At operation S420, the remote controller 200 transmits the fourthbroadcasting signal including the first identification information ofthe remote controller 200 to the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus100 in response to the key input in the operation S410.

At operation S430, the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100receives the fourth broadcasting signal transmitted in the operationS420 and stores the first identification information in the firststorage unit 120 by monitoring whether the broadcasting signalscorresponding to the plurality of transmission channels are received.

At operation S440, the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100transmits the second identification information of the broadcastingsignal receiving apparatus 100 to the remote controller 200 in responseto the first identification information received in the operation S430.

At operation S450, the remote controller 200 receives the secondidentification information transmitted in the operation S440 and storesit in the second storage unit 220.

As results from performing the operations S410 to S450, at operationS460 the broadcasting signal receiving apparatus 100 or the remotecontroller 200 may notify a user of whether the pairing is successful ornot through a display window, a sound, etc.

According to the foregoing exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention, the identification information for performing the RFcommunication is transmitted in response to a user's voluntary selectionon the RF remote controller, so that a user who has no background of thepairing can conveniently use the RF remote controller without anycomplicated setup process.

In particular, the pairing mode may be automatically achieved by just auser's action of turning on the broadcasting signal receiving apparatusthrough the remote controller, thereby improving a user's convenience.

Although a few exemplary embodiments of the present invention have beenshown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the artthat changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from theprinciples and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined inthe appended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A pairing method of a remote controllerperforming bidirectional communication with an electronic apparatus, thepairing method comprising: sensing, by the remote controller, a keyinput for controlling the electronic apparatus, wherein the key input isselected from among a plurality of keys on the remote controller; if thekey input is sensed by the remote controller, transmitting, by theremote controller, a broadcasting signal, in response to the sensed keyinput, including a control instruction to power on the electronicapparatus and first identification information of the remote controllerto the electronic apparatus; and storing, by the remote controller,second identification information of the electronic apparatus receivedfrom the electronic apparatus to perform the pairing.
 2. The pairingmethod of the remote controller according to claim 1, wherein thebroadcasting signal is transmitted to a plurality of transmissionchannels being monitored by the electronic apparatus.
 3. The pairingmethod of the remote controller according to claim 2, wherein theplurality of transmission channels are in a band for wireless local areanetwork (WLAN) channels.
 4. The pairing method of the remote controlleraccording to claim 1, wherein the electronic apparatus includes apersonal area network identifier (PAN ID) and the broadcasting signalincludes the PAN ID of the electronic apparatus.
 5. The pairing methodof the remote controller according to claim 1, further comprising:notifying, by the electronic apparatus, that pairing is successful bydisplaying notification information on a display.
 6. A pairing method ofa remote controller performing bidirectional communication with anelectronic apparatus, the pairing method comprising: sensing, by theremote controller, a key input for controlling the electronic apparatus,wherein the key input is selected from among a plurality of keys on theremote controller; transmitting, by the remote controller, a firstsignal, in response to the sensed key input, including the controlinstruction to power on the electronic apparatus; if the key input issensed by the remote controller, transmitting, by the remote controller,a second signal, in response to the sensed key input, including thefirst identification information of the remote controller to theelectronic apparatus; and storing, by the remote controller, secondidentification information of the electronic apparatus received from theelectronic apparatus to perform the pairing.
 7. The pairing method ofthe remote controller according to claim 6, wherein the first signal andthe second signal comprise broadcasting signals transmitted to aplurality of transmission channels being monitored by the electronicapparatus.
 8. The pairing method of the remote controller according toclaim 7, wherein the plurality of transmission channels are in a bandfor wireless local area network (WLAN) channels.
 9. The pairing methodof the remote controller according to claim 6, wherein the electronicapparatus includes a personal area network identifier (PAN ID) and thebroadcasting signal includes the PAN ID of the electronic apparatus. 10.A system comprising: a remote controller; and an electronic apparatusconfigured to bidirectionally communicate with the remote controller,wherein, if the remote controller senses a key input for controlling theelectronic apparatus, the remote controller is configured to transmit abroadcasting signal, in response to the sensed key input, including acontrol instruction to power on the electronic apparatus and firstidentification information of the remote controller to the electronicapparatus, and the electronic apparatus is configured to monitor whethera broadcasting signal is received by periodically measuring a power of asignal related to a plurality of transmission channels, to perform afunction based on the control instruction included in the broadcastingsignal if the broadcasting signal is received, to store firstidentification information in a storage unit, and to transmit secondidentification information of the electronic apparatus to the remotecontroller.
 11. The system according to claim 10, wherein thebroadcasting signal is transmitted to a plurality of transmissionchannels being monitored by the electronic apparatus.
 12. The systemaccording to claim 11, wherein the plurality of transmission channelsare in a band for wireless local area network (WLAN) channels.
 13. Thesystem according to claim 10, wherein the electronic apparatus includesa personal area network identifier (PAN ID) and the broadcasting signalincludes the PAN ID of the electronic apparatus.
 14. The systemaccording to claim 10, the electronic apparatus is configured to notifythat pairing is successful by displaying notification information on adisplay.
 15. A remote controller comprising: a communication unitconfigured to bidirectionally communicate with an electronic apparatus;a user input unit which includes a plurality of function keys; a storageunit which stores first identification information of the remotecontroller; and a controller configured to control the communicationunit to transmit a broadcasting signal including a control instructionto power on the electronic apparatus and first identificationinformation if a key input is sensed, and to store second identificationinformation of the electronic apparatus received therefrom in thestorage unit.
 16. An electronic apparatus comprising: a communicationunit which bidirectionally communicates with a remote controller; astorage unit which stores second identification information of theelectronic apparatus; and a controller which monitors whether abroadcasting signal is received over any of a plurality of transmissionchannels, performs a function based on a control instruction included inthe broadcasting signal if the broadcasting signal is received, storesfirst identification information of the remote controller in the storageunit, and controls the communication unit to transmit the secondidentification information to the remote controller, wherein themonitoring of whether the broadcasting signal is received includesperiodically measuring a power of a signal related to the plurality oftransmission channels by standby power if the electronic apparatus is ina power-off state.
 17. The electronic apparatus according to claim 16,wherein the broadcasting signal comprises a control instruction to poweron the electronic apparatus.
 18. The electronic apparatus according toclaim 16, wherein the controller monitors the plurality of transmissionchannels to determine whether the broadcasting signal is received overany of the plurality of transmission channels.